Installations from a USB flash drive have become one of the easiest ways to update your computer with a new operating systemHow To Install Windows 8 From A USB StickHow To Install Windows 8 From A USB StickIf you’re looking to install Windows 8 and your computer doesn't have a DVD drive, you’re not alone. Whether you have a Windows 8 DVD or a Windows 8 ISO file you've downloaded from Microsoft,...Read More. A USB installation is quick, extremely portable, and has the added bonus of reverting back to a storage device following the install. I cannot tell you how many discs I ruined over the years by messing up the write process, but I have a lot of very shiny drink-coasters in my living room.

First up, Rufus. Rufus comes as a very small executable with minimal options for tinkering, aside from partition scheme, file systems, cluster size, and the type of bootable you’ll be creating. Once you’ve selected the bootable disk type and the ISO image you’ll be burning, you can happily hit Start and wait for the process to finish.

Rufus clocked in with a 16m55s according to my phone, but also has its own timer, which showed 17.02, though the built in timer did fluctuate throughout the process. At one point, it was over 10s behind my phone, but closed the gap to a mere 7s at the finishing line. Obviously, I am right, but it is still a good time.

RMPrepUSB is one of the most complete ISO to USB packages on this list. Aside from the above mentioned features, it comes packed with a host of other BootLoaders, DiskDoctor, Speed Tests, and individual user configurations for those drives you constantly prepare.

With a time of 22m36s RMPrepUSB isn’t the fastest of the bunch, but certainly makes up for it in customization. Bonus points for the centralized tooltip, constantly updating as you scroll over menu items.

WinSetupFromUSB offers a mid-range of features. It isn’t quite RMPrePUSB, but it has so much more to offer than the other basic burners we have already covered, particularly the inclusion of FBinst Tool, Bootice, and RMPrepUSB. Each of these additional tools come with popup instructions detailing their use alongside WinSetupFromUSB, but can all be used with their original functions i.e. RMPrepUSB opens in its own dialogue with the customizable ISO/USB interface mentioned above.

As for speed, 23m29s represents one of the slower tools on the list, but is included due to the wealth of customization available to users.

You can use the UltraISO trial version an ISO to USB tool. Whilst the trial version restricts the size of ISOs created, it does nothing of the sort if you’re burning something created elsewhere. On opening UltraISO, browse to your ISO location in the bottom half of the file explorer. Once located, double click. This loads the ISO image for burning. Then head to Bootable > Write Disk Image. Be sure to use the USB-HDD+ option for best results, unless advised otherwise. Hit Write and off you go!

UltraISO clocked in with a 20m24s, sitting nicely in the middle of the pack, and made the cut against the very similarly timed WiNToBootic through its additional features such as image mounting and ISO creation.

It clocked in with a stupendously fast 14m50s and takes the crown by just over two minutes, plus it has the best name on the list, so obviously another massive point for that.

The ISO to USB Winner Is…

YUMI! If we are talking time, plus the bonus of being able to create a multiboot USB packed with everything you might ever need.

However, let’s not discount those more advanced ISO to USB tools, RMPrepUSB and WinSetupFromUSB. While their speed performance couldn’t match YUMI, the massive range of tools and customizable settings more than make up for it.

Finally, I’ve been using the ISO to USB tool for its ridiculously simple interface and fairly reasonable burn time, but even that has been bested by Rufus, so now I don’t know what to do, other than switch to something faster.

Other Tools We Tested…

I tested a full 10 different ISO tools, as you can see from the above table, noting their speed. But speed isn’t only variable we look for in a burner. Here are the fallen few:

XBoot is another multiboot tool featuring an inbuilt downloader, but timed in over 24 minutes. YUMI blew it away!

WiNToBootic fits into the basic features category, alongside the Windows 7 USB/DVD Tool and Rufus, but clocked a slower 20m14s.

Passcape ISO Burner is a multifunction burning tool, but it wouldn’t work for me. I have read other positive reviews, so it could be worth a look for other individuals.

ISO to USB is another very basic burner, and one I’ve used extensively. However, it didn’t make the cut through a slow time and lack of features.

Thank you for the nice report.
But 2: Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool should be moved to the very bottom.
I had to make Windows 7 setup disk from ISO file.
I started with number 2. And it told me that my ISO is not ISO. This file is recognized by lot of programs - VmWare, DKLite, WinRar and other. Did not explore deeper - maybe, toll did not like file size (4G).
Uninstalled number 2, downloaded Rufus and live with it.

You are correct Mr.Dhanaprakash. Easytoboot (E2B) is the ever best tool for creating multiboot pendrive as it needs only copy and paste of .iso files after creation of e2b pendrive ,hence no extracting of.iso file is needed and so no file corruption in common situations. K.J.Roy.

I like SARDU which allowed me to add more ISO images afterwards by re-reading the configuration of the USB unlike Yumi which doesnt allow me to add but all the times re-formats the USB drive (unless I havent found a way to do it and its supported).

Now I am about to test the SARDU Pro version which supports multiple Windows versions and more. Seems very cool, lets see..

If Easy2Boot can cope with only half of the ISO's it claims to have tested, it certainly is the top multiboot tool. I've only tested it with a Win based image alongside a typical Ubuntu ISO, but it worked smoothly, once you adjust the pendrive contents to avoid uncontinous clusters. Easy2Boot may not be the easiest to use, but it is very powerfull, supporting just about any image deemed worthwhile (FalconFour, Sergei Strelec, any @buntu, Win installs, etc, etc.)

It reads the USB then goes on to boot in windows. There is a trick of doing an advanced boot, then selecting usb, does the same thing. The only think I could get to boot properly was a Win 10 install image.

YUMI is great for running multiple ISOs off a USB drive. I've used it for setting up USB drives with a selection of rescue tools, and for putting a selection of Linux distros on one USB for people to try them out. I've never tried using it for installing an operating system on a computer, as the instructions have this to say:
"Important Note: YUMI was intended to be used to try to run various "LIVE Linux" Operating Systems from USB. Installing Linux from the YUMI created USB Drive to a Hard Drive is not officially supported. If the installer portion of any Live Linux distro does work, consider it a bonus."
For installing Linux on a computer I use LinuxLive USB creator to install the ISO on a USB drive. It doesn't support multiboot USBs, but it works well for installing a single distro on a USB and for installing the OS to a computer.
Recently Easy2Boot was recommended to me. I haven't had occasion to try it out yet, but I plan to take a look at it when I next need to set up a multiboot USB drive.

I have used some of these and they do work great, but are there any newer tools to handle making a UEFI boot USB easier, rufus is supposed to do that but for me it has been hit and miss, I have a Surface Pro 3 and it is hell trying to get it to boot to USB.